The Ring
by brightxstars
Summary: After being ditched by Link, Amber finds it very hard to return his class ring. Slight AmberCorny.


First Hairspray fanfic. I just adore the character Amber so very much. So very very much. So there's gonna be a lot of Amber from me. :] Lots of AmberCorny too.

She knew that it was the end when Link ran from her and into the dancing arms of Tracy Turnblad. She knew it because there was never any real love in his eyes. Never. Even when he gave her the ring after he purposely dropped her during the opening scene of the show.

But, even when the pageant ended and the lights were faded, she still stared at the symbol of their "love". Three years down the drain. She sighed and lifted the ring up to her face. The jewel shined off of one of the few lights still left on. Her mother was still packing her desk and Amber was left here waiting for her.

"I should probably give you back, huh?" Amber mulled, twisting the ring back and forth. She wanted to keep it so badly. It was the symbol of the love that she received from someone.

Looking at it and the chain that it had lived on for the past month, she realized that she was going to miss the weight that it put on her chest. A constant reminder that there was something in her life that her mother couldn't control. Guess she should have because he would still be with Amber if she had let her mom control him.

Link probably wanted to give it to Tracy now. She sighed again and leaned on her left hand, her right still clutching what she so desperately wanted.

-.-.-

She didn't give it back. She still wore it under her dresses while her new partner was too rough with her; twirling her around so fast until she felt sick, the ring was close to her heart and it relieved some of the nausea. While Corny talked to the camera, she tried to ignore the loving eyes that Tracy gave Link while he's not looking. She remembered not too long ago when she did that. She put her hand to her chest and was reassured by the ring on her neck. The ring that says _"Lincoln Larkin"_ on one side with music notes underneath it, the school mascot on the other side, and _"1963"_ across the top of the bright blue sapphire. He told her that it matched her eyes one day. Even though they were on the air and she was standing right next to Corny, directly on camera, she let the tears well up in her eyes.

The new station manager called out "And that's it for today" and she rushed back to her vanity that is crowded by the other girls': not being lead dancer, she lost all the perks of it, like her own dressing room. She powdered her own nose and cheeks before rushing to get out of the building. If Link doesn't get a chance to talk to her she won't have to give back the ring.

So far it's worked.

-.-.-

But avoiding someone only works so long. It was the second Tuesday after the pageant that he finally cornered her.

"Uh. Amber," he started out nervously. She could tell that from the jittery hands. "I would really like it if you gave me my ring back…"

Her eyes welled up because it was official now. He wasn't just testing different, much bigger, waters. He was really done with her. She couldn't believe the pain that was rushing over and into her heart. She was a Von Tussle. This wasn't suppose to happen to Von Tussles.

Looking into his blue eyes, she realized that it wasn't about names. She was just a heart broken girl now. The reject girl. The one to be taken out with the trash. She didn't want that. She didn't want that comfort to just go away. It was the only thing that got her a whole night of sleep.

With a falling tear, she covered the ring. "After the show? Please?"

Link looked around and nodded. "After."

She couldn't bear to watch him walk away.

-.-.-

After an extra hard new dance, she hauled herself as fast as she could off the set and backstage. Before Link could get to her. She stopped in front of the vanity with the name _"Tracy"_ adorning the top. She unclasped her chain, laid it gently on the vanity, and scribbled out a quick note before she left the studio.

"_Please love it as much as I did."_

-.-.-

Since she gave back the ring she noticed several things: her neck seems lighter, Tracy's seems heavier, Corny's standing extra close, she can't sleep a whole night, and she cries more than she's ever had in her whole life.

More than once she's caught herself rubbing her chest, hoping to find the comfort that was no longer there. She's also caught Corny staring at her while she's rubs, almost like he knows what she's missing.

Her partner was still way too rough with her. At least somethings don't change.

-.-.-

People have stopped asking her what's wrong when she sits and stares at herself while she cries. Mostly it's after the show, as to not have herself puffy when she gets on TV. The whole world stopped turning one day, about a month after she gave back the ring, when there was a scrap piece of paper saying, _"If you need call me. Shelley. 555-9403."_ That in itself made her cry for another five minutes because her mortal enemy was offering her pity. It was truly terrible. It was an all-time low in the life of Amber Von Tussle.

But, as her mother became more disengaged with what she was doing, Amber began to realize that she could do whatever she pleased now. Even if it was crying all the time. But she knew that she would have to get over it sometime soon. She gave something to Link that she couldn't just ask for it back. It wasn't something that he could give back. So that made the pain even worse. It was the pain of being abandoned.

Walking into another day at the studio, she felt some of that pain ebb away. Because of what, she couldn't tell. Perhaps her inner Von Tussle was tired of Amber acting like a baby. All the time. Or maybe it was shining, glimmering ring nestled neatly in the corner of her vanity. Making sure no one was around, she rushed to it.

Gingerly picking it up, her heart fell because the gem wasn't blue, it was red. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she chastised herself for letting that glimmer of hope shine. But curiosity won over and she wanted to know who's class ring it was.

"_I swear, if it's Fender's, I'm gonna kill him."_ As she searched the ring for the name, she nearly dropped it. Across the side, atop the dance shoes inscribed on it, sat the name _"Corny Collins."_

"What?" Amber whispered to herself. She looked over and saw the small piece of paper that the ring sat on.

She picked it up, eyebrows furrowed, and read the loopy letters. _"Have it until you get another. –Corny." _

A smile overcame her usual melancholy face, a small one meant just for her and the ring. She pulled open one of the drawers, pulled out her finest silver chain and stung it. She clipped it shut and decided not to tuck it in her dress.

Let the world see that she's moved on. Let everyone wonder who's it is. Von Tussle's are all about the scandal anyway.


End file.
